Pork Belly. What am i doing wrong ?

Slattsy

Morning,

I've twice tried to cook roasted pork belly and both times its been decent/nice, without it being as tender/melt in the mouth as i get in restaurants.

Im following recipes to a tee. I used a Hairy Bikers recipe on saturday and i think it was Jamie Olivers the time before (most recipes seem to follow this rule) Cook it on a high temp 220c for 20-25 mins then turn it down to 160 for the remaining 2 hours. The crackling is lovely, but its the pork itself. Its just not falling apart quite as easy as i'd like and i just dont know why.

Any idea's on what it could be?

Mr Simpson

I'd say you need a lower temp for longer. I've used this recipe before, twas very tender.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1107643/crisp-ciderbraised-pork-belly

the beer revolu

Slattsy wrote: »

Morning,

I've twice tried to cook roasted pork belly and both times its been decent/nice, without it being as tender/melt in the mouth as i get in restaurants.

Im following recipes to a tee. I used a Hairy Bikers recipe on saturday and i think it was Jamie Olivers the time before (most recipes seem to follow this rule) Cook it on a high temp 220c for 20-25 mins then turn it down to 160 for the remaining 2 hours. The crackling is lovely, but its the pork itself. Its just not falling apart quite as easy as i'd like and i just dont know why.


Any idea's on what it could be?

Cook it for longer at a lower temperature if you want it softer.
Try the hot start as normal then maybe 3 hours at 150.

Mr Simpson

the beer revolu wrote: »

Cook it for longer at a lower temperature if you want it softer.
Try the hot start as normal then maybe 3 hours at 150.

I don't think it needs the hot start tbh. In my experience the best way is to cook it low, chill it (weighted down), then pan fry.

Dizzyblonde

Sometimes it's just the pork itself, I always cook mine slowly too and the odd time it's still tough. Any time I've bought it in M&S it's been really tender, but there's no crackling on their pork belly joints.
It could be that in restaurants they boil the pork belly first and cook the crackling separately - I've seen Chinese dishes done that way.

Slattsy

Im hoping its not the quality of the pork, it's hard to tell.
I tend to get all my meat in FXB's, and I generally find the quality very good.

Next time i might drop the temp and cook it longer.

What would be the longest time i should attempt to roast the pork for ?

homemadecider

I saw Rachel Allen do a pork belly on tv last week, it was 30 mins on hot and then she cooked it something like 4 - 5 hours on really low. She finished with 30 mins on high heat at the end to crisp up the crackling. Maybe give that a go?

jdee99

homemadecider wrote: »

I saw Rachel Allen do a pork belly on tv last week, it was 30 mins on hot and then she cooked it something like 4 - 5 hours on really low. She finished with 30 mins on high heat at the end to crisp up the crackling. Maybe give that a go?

This is the way I do mine - 200C for 20 - 30 mins and then 100C for 5 -6 hours and then 20 mins at 200C. Works every time.

Slattsy

Yeah that's probably what i'll do next time. I must try find that recipe.
I didnt think pork could take slow cooking (4/5 hours) as good as beef.

Slattsy

jdee99 wrote: »

This is the way I do mine - 200C for 20 - 30 mins and then 100C for 5 -6 hours and then 20 mins at 200C. Works every time.

:eek:

jdee99

I also rear a couple of pigs every year and I have to say they taste divine

the beer revolu

Slattsy wrote: »

Yeah that's probably what i'll do next time. I must try find that recipe.
I didnt think pork could take slow cooking (4/5 hours) as good as beef.

You could cook it for 24 hours if you want - as long as it's covered and temp is low enough. Problem is, if you cover it, the crackling tends to be a bit soft.

I usually find that 3 hours @ 150 is plenty but longer won't do it any harm - plenty of fat to keep it moist.

I also agree with the hot blast at the end to crisp up the crackling but mostly what I do is: when joint is cooked I take off the crackling, cover the pork in foil and allow to rest. Meanwhile but the crackling on a baking tray or pan and put under a hot grill to crisp up - careful - it can burn easily.
Devour the crackling as an appetiser while meat is resting/you're making your gravy/cooking your greens etc.

Slattsy

the beer revolu wrote: »

You could cook it for 24 hours if you want - as long as it's covered and temp is low enough. Problem is, if you cover it, the crackling tends to be a bit soft.

So... I could give it the hot blast as the start for 30 mins to firm the crackling up, then cover it in foil for say 3-4 hours and cook slowly on low temp before finally removing the foil to give it another hot blast for 30 mins at the end

the beer revolu

Slattsy wrote: »

So... I could give it the hot blast as the start for 30 mins to firm the crackling up, then cover it in foil for say 3-4 hours and cook slowly on low temp before finally removing the foil to give it another hot blast for 30 mins at the end

I wouldn't cover it if cooking for 3-4 hours.
It should be moist enough at a low temp.
Covering it can adversely affect the crackling so that it might be very hard to crisp it up again.

Slattsy

I will get this right if its the last thing I ever do !!!

nompere

MarkMc wrote: »

I don't think it needs the hot start tbh. In my experience the best way is to cook it low, chill it (weighted down), then pan fry.

I cooked a piece of belly very slowly on Sunday, and chilled it overnight.

Yesterday evening, I removed the crackling, sliced the meat, passed the meat through flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and gave the slices about 30 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees.

I finished the crackling under the grill.

It went down very well.

Swiper the fox

I'd be in the very long and slow camp, either blast it with heat at the end or remove the crackling and cook seperately, a little bit of liquid in the roasting pan does no harm either, apple works very well with pork as we know so cider or apple juice is good and helps to make a great sauce, I'd see no problem with 6 hours at 100

sallymomo

Just a quick one on the crackling...place the meat on a rack, score the fat with quite a few incisions of approx 2cms in depth. Pour boiling water over the fat and then pat dry afterwards. This helps the skin to crackle and allows for just slow cooking of the meat.
I also find if the meat is rolled by the butcher and tied that the meat turns out more tender.

Slattsy

sallymomo wrote: »

Just a quick one on the crackling...place the meat on a rack, score the fat with quite a few incisions of approx 2cms in depth. Pour boiling water over the fat and then pat dry afterwards. This helps the skin to crackle and allows for just slow cooking of the meat.
I also find if the meat is rolled by the butcher and tied that the meat turns out more tender.

I did see somewhere to do that. But the recipe still only required cooking for 2 and 1/2 hours. And my crackling came out great.

Next time i will definately be slow cooking the pork. And may cook it in a drop of cider.

Elbow

I've cooked pork belly a few different ways and without a doubt the tastiest way has been very low and very very slow.

http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/recipe_directory/h/heston_s_slow_cooked_pork_belly.A4.html

cgarrad

Elbow wrote: »

I've cooked pork belly a few different ways and without a doubt the tastiest way has been very low and very very slow.

http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/recipe_directory/h/heston_s_slow_cooked_pork_belly.A4.html

Dinner for Friday night. Thank you ;-)

Oink

cgarrad wrote: »

[waitrose recipe]

Dinner for Friday night. Thank you ;-)

Yup. Here's me sunday dinner

I was going to try the other recipe, but I'm not ready for a 2-day job yet...

Elbow

There's a more involved recipe available from his "Heston at home" book, fantastic result but you'd want to be starting tomorrow night to have it ready for Friday

Conmaicne Mara

Try this, if I can make it, anyone can

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/9844/twicecooked-pork-belly-with-an-onion-and-apple-vel

TBoneMan

Get your butcher to score the crackling in both directions for you(stops the rind curling)
Preheat your oven to 200 and have your pork belly out of the fridge a good hour before hand, rub sea salt & herbs if desired into the skin.
Place into the roasting tray, skin side up, & in the oven for 20 minutes then remove. This sets the skin. Drop your oven to 160.
Cut the ends off 2 onions and cut them in half, placing them in the tray. Place belly skin up on the onions & add a glass of cider, water ,wine or stock to the tray. Make a tent of foil over the tray and make sure its sealed on all sides.
Now place in the oven at 160 for 3 hours to braise. Never open the foil as you want the steam inside to soften the belly.
After 3 hours remove the foil and set aside the caramelised onions and remaining liquid for gravy. Up the oven to 200 - 220 again and once hot put back in the belly for 15 to 20, until the crackling starts to bubble up.

Rest , carve & enjoy with the caramelised onion gravy you reduced down.

My wifes recipe and it never fails to impress

cgarrad

cgarrad wrote: »

Dinner for Friday night. Thank you ;-)

My God that Heston recipe is amazing. I actually produced restaurant quality food for the first time in my life ;-)